The Second Birthday Query

As you can see, Anna the baby is no more. Meet Anna the toddler, going on big girl. This reality smacks me in the face every day as she whips out a new sentence or masters a new skill. We're less than a month from the 2nd birthday. What.in.the.world? 

I'm receiving those probing questions from family and friends who are also thinking about the upcoming birthday. "What should I get Anna?" I recommend Emily Post's guide to . . . . Hey, a mom can hope, right?

First, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please know that this sweet, cute, silly girl needs nothing. But I know when it comes to grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, it's impossible to resist. So, this post's for you. The following list is a catalog of ideas/suggestions. Heavens, you are not obligated to buy any of this! Nor, will anyone cry tears if she receives nary an item. In fact, I might just rejoice. Again, a mother can dream. :-)

• Lego Duplo blocks (1.5-5 years age range). She received a box for Christmas; and they're a big hit. The pack we bought had a lot of square and small rectangle pieces--not great for variety. Anna would love another box to add to the collection. She's into building her own creations now, if you can even believe it!
• Baby doll clothes that are easy to take on and off. 
• Books about the potty. Ahem.
• Giftcard to Stride Rite. We've struggled finding shoes to fit her; alas, Stride Rite and Nordstrom tend to be the only places we can score "wides" that are actually wide enough.
• 2T summer clothes and 3T winter clothes are always embraced at the Youree house.
• If it's got the Fresh Beat Band or Elmo on it, she likes it.
• Outside toys. We're back home now with our very own yard. Bubbles would be a big win.
• Any donation to a charity in Anna Zane's honor. The best gift.

The Negotiator (and Some Christmas Pictures)

Anna Zane is not yet two years old and already she's mastered negotiating at bed time. Tonight, after the story and while we rocked (and I sing my best rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle"), she asked for:

Water

Milk

Juice

When that didn't work, she decided being more vague was a better approach: A drink

No liquid for her since she just had water before story.

So, she decides to pull for the heartstrings.

Daddy hug. Daddy kiss. 

She asked five times.

Then she hugged and kissed me twice.

Finally, she asked for "lipstick," a.k.a. chap stick.

However, she laid down without a hitch. Ah, she's the joy of my heart.

And to make this the most random blog posting ever . . . enjoy some pictures from Christmas. :-)

Christmas morning, waiting in our bedroom while Daddy went to check to see if Santa had left and to set up the camera.

 Santa brought Anna a KITCHEN! When she saw it, she bypassed all the wrapped gifts. It took us nearly 30 minutes to get her to agree to open any gifts because she only wanted to play kitchen. Santa score!

TCU Music Class and More

It's impossible . . . impossible, I tell you, that my sweetest cutie pie will be TWO in one short month. Where, oh where, has the time gone? And where is my cuddly baby? I walked in the room today to find her on top of the kitchen table. That's where she is . . . was.

Heaven help me.

Sure, I sound all doom and dread, but Anna Zane--even in all her toddler-ness--is a dream. She truly is laid back and still shows off her kind spirit. My heart swells to see her blossom and grow in confidence and ability. The girl loves books and cooking the most with the occasional baby or block fun fest.

Anna is also talking heaps (also repeating everything I say). And running. And having tea parties in the bathtub. And asking to watch The Fresh Beat Band (to her, the "Beats") thousands of times per day. And pretend falling so she can get a hug. And telling me "Hug and kiss" when she goes bye-bye (a.k.a. taking her toy stroller down the hall). And talking about the potty and pee and poop but doing very little about it. Ahem.

In summary, she's doing wonderfully.

Below are pics from her last music class in December. I mean last music class for that semester. We start drummin' and strummin' again next week.

  

The 1:30 Phone Call

Santa (a.k.a. my in-laws) bought me the complete Harry Potter movie set for Christmas. So, the hubs and I have been watching that when we can. We're up to movie five now. And last night we had a date to see The Hobbit. 

My mind's been in a world of orks, wizards, dementors, dwarfs, Gollum, and Voldemort. So you can see why a phone call at 1:30 a.m. from our home security company completely scared me silly. The patio door monitor was no longer "under supervision" for some harmless reason. However, it didn't seem so harmless then. To say I'm drowsy today is a total understatement. One eye open all night . . . . 

To change the subject, below are pics from Thanksgiving week. Yes, Thanksgiving. Our niece Baylee visited, and then we all visited the Gaylord Texas to see the sights. It's no Opryland Hotel, but it was really fun, especially the Tex Mex. I guarantee the Opryland can't beat that!

For Sale!

With remodeling and moving, one is always compelled to purge. A garage sale is definitely in the Youree's future, but here are a couple items too big for my garage (that is, if I want my cars to fit).

Interested in a couch? $50. The catch? You have to pick it up. There's a coffee table for sale too (scroll down).

Or a nice coffee table? $25.

Radio Silent No More

While I wonder sometimes if anyone actually listens to the radio anymore, the best term I can muster to explain the recent absence of posts is "radio silent." However, as hectic as the holidays are for everyone, I'm guessing you didn't even notice. :-)

In summary, the previous 30 days found me "packing" in as many activities as possible. And I ain't kiddin' about the packing. We moved back into our house (confusing?) on December 14. I'm now somewhere between barely unpacked and insane. For the last seven months, we've called an apartment home; so even with boxes galore, it feels so.good.to.be.home. Along with the moving, we threw in a family trip or two and that small, teeny tiny holiday you might have heard of--Christmas.

The year 2012 will not go down in history as the end of the world, but, for us, as the year of the remodel.  With that tremendous excitement and hope of a new home for our family also came the usual stress and overwhelming nature of the project. But all in all, it was manageable and we feel no worse for the wear. Miracle? I think so.

Sadly, this year too will also forever be the year I lost my mom. In the midst of the joy and bliss and "new" and festive, grief and sadness still linger. Ah, grief is a beast you cannot tame.

So, here's to 2013! May it be boring, bland, and completely uneventful. Who's with me?

Watch This!

The clip below is hysterical! Why? Like most funnies, it's humorous because it's TRUE. While I haven't been the recipient of all of these comments (the international adoption comments actually), I have encountered the majority of them. And yes, like you, I think, "What in the world?" But hey, don't we all say stuff we regret? Sometimes it's just better to chuckle.